Crazy Lent idea... I must be crazy for doing this!

[greeneyedlulu]

No wine
No chocolate
No spending....
For Lent I usually give something up.... this year I'm combining a few elements of my life that need a damn good shake up!!
I'm a drinker, not rolling around in gutter drunk every night, just I can easily drink most of a bottle each night without realising it, cheeky glass whilst cooking, top up to sit down for dinner... you know how it goes!

The chocolate tends to be a daily treat at the end of the day once my little boy is finally tucked up in bed asleep and I've done my daily chores and my bum finally hits the sofa, with a glass of wine in hand (the rest of the above bottle) and the other reaching for the remote control to watch some crappy tv show..... yes that includes eastenders but I love it!!

As for the spending..... well as you can imagine the above mentioned products set me back a bit! So that added to the cost of the mortgage, council tax, nursery fees and blah blah blah!!! Everyone has these costs! I know I'm not special but my God, it's just so overwhelming sometimes being a single mum and having so many outgoings! And I know I'm wasting money by buying lunches and coffee and wine and chocolate each day!

My fridge broke down in January (you know... the month we're all swimming in cash) so that cleared out my little bit of rainy day funds and this month, I'm struggling and I refuse to carry on like this and be so worried about money every day so I sat down and worked out my finances and I'm pretty ashamed by the difference on how much I should have left over and how much I actually do!! Eek!!

So Lent starts tomorrow and I've been paid today, all the bills go out tomorrow and I'll update as I go along on how I'm doing as I really want to give everything a shake up so the way I see it is that

1. If I give up wine and chocolate I will save money and lose weight
2. If I'm making lunches then that will help to towards the weight loss and I'm saving money
3. If I stop spending money on non essentials, I can save and get those few irksome jobs that need doing around the house that are beyond my DIY skills that 'I can't afford'!

I want to make this work and figure if I put it out there that I'm doing it then I will more likely stick to it!

Wish me luck!!

PS. Anyone else who is giving up something for Lent you are welcome to share your plight and pain along side me as I will probably need the support too x

The booze is gone for me x

I'm going to try to give up wine. It crept up before Christmas and I have wrestled it down to one glass a night (mostly) but I do look forward to my evening glass of wine!

I'm going to do a food bank box with DD too, where we choose one tin or item to put in the box every day and then donate it at Easter. She's only 2 so a visual type thing will make sense to her.

I'll do the bag a day thing. Even if it's just old paperwork.

I am giving up anything sugary (bar fruit) and alcohol. I really need to lose weight and stop comfort eating / drinking so much. So we have pancakes for dinner tonight and then tomorrow I'm off the sugar.

empire technically Sundays are feast days and therefore don't count in Christianity anyway. It's 40 days not including Sundays

Though I'm going to try and give it up including the Sundays as I know otherwise I'll just crave it all the time!

Why not take up something instead...french, pottery, walking to work..

I'm giving up chocolate in all its forms - bars, biscuits, cake, hot chocolate etc. It will be hard. I'm bf so can't really drink or have a decent coffee so chocolate what keeps me going through the day.

I'm giving up being grumpy.
So I can't give up alcohol and chocolate, because that would make me grumpy.

I'm going to get my trainers on every day, even if it is just for a 20 minute jog. I will do something active everyday.

I may give up Facebook. I think that's a great idea.

I will pray more, to thank God how lucky we are, and get the DCs and I to donate something to charity every week.

And make sure I put something in the food bank box every time I do a shop rather than an extra treat for us.

And as Christian, I think that any form of self improvement in Lent is a great idea, whether you are a believer or not. The more the merrier!

Yes, big thanks Snorktastic. I'm going to do that too.

It's my 50th birthday on 19 March which, fortunately, is a Sunday. I'm Anglican and for us Lent starts tomorrow (Ash Wednesday) and ends at the end of Holy Saturday (the day before Easter). We do get Sundays off though, as they are considered a 'feast' day, rather than a 'fast' day, which means I can have lunch with mum, dad, sister and niece on the actual day

Anyway, sorry for the religious bit and I hope I haven't offended anyone . I'm so glad that all of us, of whatever faith, or none, are doing this in the spirit of togetherness

Wishing all of you a very happy Lent. Hope to speak to you during the course of the next 40 or so days.

Lots of love,

Stevie xxx

Great idea....wine, crisps and butter! Have given up sugar in tea and coffee since Jan, took long time to enjoy cup of tea without it.. Hope lent will be start of weight loss.. Good luck to all

I'm cutting my spending to essentials only and giving up biscuits. I'm sick of being overweight so if I only buy essentials and give up biscuits then that will help. I'm also going to try be more active and drink more water. These are ongoing life goals but lent is a good way to start!

Wow, I'm amazed at your energy and will-power greeneyedlulu
Good luck with all that!

I guess Lent could be a good time to give something up as days are gradually getting longer, and Spring is in the air.
Did you know the word Lent simply comes from the Old English "lenten" meaning lengthen - So simply from the longer days as we head into Spring.

I've seen beautiful Spring flowers coming up today at our Quaker Meeting House; crocuses, snowdrops, daffs nearly out, primroses, little pink cyclamen under the trees.

What might I give up or take up for Lent? Hmmm ......

I think I will try to use the incentive of lighter mornings to get us all up a bit earlier, be more organised by getting more ready the night before etc, and give up the early morning shouting at my DC to get ready . Wish me luck!

I'm pregnant and terrified of getting GD As I'm overweight. So off chocolate sweets crisps biscuits for lent and hoping to do a bit more walking. Fingers crossed I'll be healthier and not too much fatter. Also going to try and stop unnecessary spending in prep for said baby!the stuff is all so mega expensive!!

You don't need most of the baby related stuff nameenvy - maybe a second hand sling - but your baby will be very happy just with you!

Congrats and good luck

Green - this sounds brilliant and will probably help you form some great new habits.

I'm giving up chocolate and bread. I could exist on these two things alone so really do need to address this!

Time to buckle up, it's gonna be a rough ride

Giving up: gluttony and overspending and mumsnet Facebook etc
Taking up: waking before the children and no dairy or grains

Kitkat - quite right! I will be replacing my telly watching with some meditation and yoga (and the many arts and crafts projects and general life admin I've half completed...)

BoodlesMcToodles

2. 'non-homemade biscuits/cake'

Please ladies you are all welcome to join in, this is us together!! United we stand!! Xx

Olympiathequeen

Maybe being judgemental is something you should give up for Lent.... and yes you were being harsh!!

KitKats28

I give money to various charities each month, totalling £20, it's not much but I do give already and I do remember an old saying that says charity begins at home so I'm trying to sort myself out financially and do not see anything wrong with what I'm doing.

I'm giving up the same 3 as you

I'm giving up sugar. I'm interested to see what difference it makes, I don't have sugar in tea or on cereal but I don't mind the odd biscuit or tub of ice cream.

I'm giving up Diet Coke - no mean feat for me!!
Considered giving up alcohol but I could do with some sort of treat if I'm not drinking Coke - don't really eat chocolate or other sweet stuff, & max 1 bag of 'light/low fat' crisps/ day.